


Man Plans, God Laughs

by IsaacTheGreat69



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Child Neglect, Dee is African-American with vitiligo, Homelessness, Human AU, Injury, M/M, Mentioned Abuse, Physical Abuse, Remus is Colombian-American, Roman Logan and Patton are in a poly relationship, Running Away, Spanish translations at the end, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:00:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23079769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IsaacTheGreat69/pseuds/IsaacTheGreat69
Summary: Dee and Remus had been planning to leave for a while, but one unexpected surprise leads them to act out their plan sooner than Dee would like. With little supplies and almost nothing to their names, how will rich boy Dee Cete and foster kid Remus Regara survive?
Relationships: Creativity | Roman/Logic | Logan/Morality | Patton
Comments: 7
Kudos: 29





	Man Plans, God Laughs

**Author's Note:**

> For @secretlypansexualmango on Tumblr

“Hey, Dee?”

Dee looks up from the small fire to show Remus he’s listening. Remus glances down at his lap, where Virgil is resting his head as he sleeps, all worry gone from his bruised, dirty face. The campfire illuminating their faces makes the shadows dance across their skin, giving Virgil an almost tortured look and accentuating the worry in Remus’ face. “Do ya think we like… acted too impulsive? I’m not sayin’ we shouldn’ta left,” he rushes to add, “but we didn’t have a plan. I know I’m the one who… who said we had to leave ASAP, but… I dunno, dude, I’m wrong a lot…. What if we starve? What if we get hurt?”

Dee sighs, letting his gaze wander back to the fire between them. The pale skin around his left eye looks even paler in the firelight. “It’s a little late for that, Remus.”

* * *

_“_ Vete a la verga _, Michael! I’m not gonna be your cash cow much longer you lazy sack of shit!” Remus slams the front door shut behind him as he leaves his foster home, ignoring the man’s shouts as he stomps down the walkway. His boots create a rhythmic thumping on the sidewalk, matching his heartbeat. He pulls out his phone, calling his only friend._

_“Michael say something stupid again?” Dee’s voice cuts through the phone’s purl. Remus scoffs._

_“He told me to get a job to ‘earn my keep’,_ Lo que sea que eso signifique _.” The latter part is mumbled under his breath in frustration, but it travels through the speaker and is met with a chuckle. “I know for a fact he’s getting fat government checks for housing me, he doesn’t need more money. Asshole just wants to buy a fancy car so our neighbor will fuck him._ No tengo tiempo para esta mierda.”

_A soft laugh greets his ears, allaying Remus’ aggravated mind. “Yeah right. He could have Steve Jobs’ life and no one would ever want to have sex with him, much less go on a date with him.” Remus doesn’t respond, instead continuing to walk down the sidewalk in silence with the phone pressed to his ear._

_“Wanna come over? Dad’s out.”_

_Remus hums in thought, but he knows that’s probably where his feet are taking him. “Yeah, sure. See you in five.”_

* * *

Dee pokes the logs with a stick, causing their structure to shift, stoking the flames. “I knew going in that we’d have to get jobs as soon as possible. I turn eighteen in a couple weeks, and the shit I brought with me should last us until I find a job. Worse comes to worse we can panhandle. We just gotta stick together and be careful. It’ll be okay.”

Virgil shifts, grimacing as his arm presses into his bruised ribs. Remus sighs, brushing a hand through Virgil’s hair. “If it was just you an’ me, I wouldn’t be too stressed. We’ve been through worse. But… I don’t wanna drag Virge down with us. He deserves better,” he gestures to the trees around them. “I mean… Fuck, of all the times to indulge me, I think this was probably the worst. Virgil is hurt; he needs a doctor, a decent bed, a good meal. Instead we’re sitting in the woods _sin comida, sin suministros, y sin adultos de nuestro lado_. We're fucked.”

* * *

_“I can’t wait until I’m eighteen and I can just dip. Never have to see that bastard’s smug face again.” Remus flicks the straw in his soda glass, making it spin around the inside of the glass. Me Against the World blares from Dee’s surround-sound speakers as the teens lounge on an expensive white leather couch seated before a large flatscreen, currently turned off. It was always off when Remus came over._

_Dee leans back in his seat, arms propped up along the couch’s back. “Same here. The day I turn eighteen I’m leaving; gonna take as much as I can carry. Selfish prick won’t miss any of it anyways.”_

* * *

Dee puffs up defensively. “Don’t gimme that shit, I wanted to make a real plan but you’re the one who came to my door begging me to help you get him outta here!” 

“ _Podría empeorado_! We couldn’t wait!”

Dee opens his mouth to reply but pauses when Virgil shifts, grimacing and grunting in discomfort. Dee sighs. “You’re right. I’m sorry, I’m just… frustrated. It wasn’t your fault though; I was worried about him too. It was a mutual decision.” He pokes the fire again, if only to occupy his hands and avoid Remus’ gaze. “We’ll be fine, though. We have to be.”

After a moment he adds, “You should get to sleep, Remus. We got a lot of walking to do tomorrow.”

“What about you?”

“I’ll sleep once the fire’s out; don’t wanna burn the woods down.”

Remus rolls his eyes. “Then just put it out, you don’t gotta be up half the night.”

“Yes mother,” Dee responds with a smirk, smothering the fire with dirt. In the darkness, there’s no distractions. Crickets chirp, something howls in the distance, and there’s the occasional rustling of a small creature. Dee lays down on his balled-up hoodie, shivering when a breeze rolls through. He wished he’d had more time to plan. He could have at least made a supply list, packed things that wouldn’t spoil or be missed, come up with a better way to get to Ridgewater besides traipsing through the woods for five days straight. He closes his eyes and tries to banish those thoughts. No use worrying about the past.

He falls into a fitful sleep about an hour later.

* * *

_Dee sits down on his bed with a bowl of popcorn and TV remote in hand, ready for a day of relaxing, but his phone vibrating insistently on the desk interrupts him. He sighs, setting the popcorn aside and picking up his phone, rolling his eyes when he sees Remus’ name. Michael probably said or did something again, big surprise there. Or maybe Dee was just lucky and Remus missed his bestie._

_“What is it, Remus?”_

_The breathing on the other end is slightly labored, making Dee’s eyebrows furrow. Remus grunts before responding. “So uh… You remember that real quiet, small kid in math?” Dee blinks, his surprise erasing any thoughts he’d had._

_“You mean Vinny? No wait… Virgil. What about him?”_

_“So I was on my way to the store and guess who lives like three blocks over? Oh man, if I’d known sooner-” he swears under his breath as he stumbles. Dee tenses. “Anyways. Right. Uh. Currently- currently walking his sorry ass to your house, mind meeting us at the front door? He’s heavy.”_

_Dee’s heart rate picks up. “Remus, why are you-”_

_“_ Gracias _Dee!_ Hasta pronto _!” The line clicks._

_Dee sits there in stunned silence for a moment before he snaps back to attention. He rushes downstairs to make sure his dad isn’t home. Thankfully he isn’t. He slips out the front door and sits on the front steps, waiting anxiously._

_Remus comes trudging up the walkway a few minutes later, Virgil’s arm around his shoulder, all but dragging him along. The worry in Dee’s chest grows when he notices Virgil’s unconscious, bruises forming on what little skin he can see. Remus makes eye contact with him, nodding his head towards the door. Dee snaps out of his shock and rushes to get the door open. “Dad’s not home, go ahead and set him on the couch.” He was dying to ask what this was about, what the hell happened to the new kid, but he knew it wasn’t the time. Remus would tell him after they helped Virgil._

_Remus lays Virgil on the couch and heads into the bathroom, coming back with the first aid kit. Dee helps Remus get Virgil’s jacket and shirt off, grimacing at the bruises smattered across his torso. He cleans and Remus dresses, both teens working in silence until the task is done. Afterwards, Remus sits back with a sigh._

_“His dad did that. Left ‘im on the front lawn, I think he got kicked out.”_

_Dee’s eyes widen. Virgil’s dad? “Holy shit…”_

_“Dee, we have to take him with us. We have to leave today.”_

_Dee’s gaze snaps over to Remus, surprised at the pain and worry on his face. “What? Remus, we can’t. We barely know him, and we have no plan. No supplies.”_

_Remus looks at Dee with determination in his face. “I can’t just leave him with that_ cabrón _.”_

_Dee looks from his friend’s stoney gaze to the unconscious teen on his couch. Virgil was younger than them - a sophomore - Dee guessed he was pretty smart if they had math class together. Even unconscious, Virgil looked like he was waiting to be hit, anxiety and exhaustion lining his dirty face. Dee sighs._

_“Fine. Let me get some stuff and we can leave before my dad gets home.”_

* * *

Dee is the first to wake, Remus and Virgil following not long after. They each have half a granola bar for breakfast, chatting and making jokes about their classmates stuck at school to try keeping the mood light. It doesn’t even take five minutes to pack up their things before they’re heading off once again, Dee and Remus taking turns supporting Virgil’s weight. Virgil’s foot catches on a root and he screams, startling the older boys into stopping. 

Dee has Virgil sit on a boulder and raises his pant leg, grimacing at the swollen, red flesh. That probably happened yesterday. It was a miracle Virgil was even walking right now, he must be in incredible pain. Dee looks up at Virgil’s pained, anxious face and sighs. “Here, you can’t walk on that. I’ll carry you.” He turns around, getting into position. 

“Wh- Dee, you can’t! It’s a few days, at least! You’ll exhaust yourself!”

Dee glares up at Remus. “He’s not walking on that ankle. If you’re that worried we can take turns.” Remus looks down and nods, Virgil climbing on Dee’s back. Dee wraps his arms around Virgil’s thighs and stands, surprised and worried at how much lighter Virgil is than he thought he’d be. “Let’s get going.”

They don’t stop until the sun is high in the sky; even then it’s to eat the rest of their granola bars while Remus switches with Dee. Virgil ends up dozing off on Remus, completely slack. 

Dee interrupts Remus as he’s about to say something. “Let him sleep, he needs it.”

The rest of their trip is spent in silence until the sun goes down, and they stop for the night.

* * *

On day four, they break from the woods and stumble into a large field, Ridgewater visible in the distance. That has them energized; they make it into town before lunch, and the first thing they do is buy a meal at the local café. Remus nearly inhales it while Virgil spends the mealtime picking at his food silently; Dee can’t decide if he should be worried or not. After that, they head to the Greyhound station. 

Dee slams his fist on the counter. “What do you _mean_ it costs over eight _hundred_ dollars? It’s a _bus_!” This is a disaster, they don’t have enough money. He didn’t have much time to grab anything, he doubted they’d make up the difference even with the stuff he did grab. The woman on the other side of the counter looked down at him with an unamused expression, one eyebrow raised. “Yes, but it’s a rather large bus that’s traveling across the country over three days. Eight hundred and twenty dollars.”

Remus steps forward, putting a hand on Dee’s shoulder to draw his attention. “Dee, it’s fine. We’ll figure something out, okay? Getting mad at the bus lady isn’t gonna help us.” He leans closer and whispers, “ _Podemos colarnos en el autobús de todos modos_.”

The woman behind the ticket counter shifts her gaze to Remus. “You most certainly can not. I suggest the both of you leave before I call the authorities.” Dee scowls and leads Remus away, heading back to Virgil, who was seated on a bench. Virgil looks up hopefully, that hope deflating when he sees their expressions. 

“No dice?”

Dee shakes his head, rubbing his face. “No, but it’s okay. I’ll figure out something.”

(∩ ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)⊃━☆ﾟ

“Something” had turned into a week and a half of sitting on street corners with a sign, hoping for the best. If Dee was in a good mood he’d agree to let Remus help him, but more often than not he’d tell Remus to watch after Virgil since he was still injured. During these times, Remus and Virgil hung out at the park, sticking to a more deserted corner reserved for the prostitutes and drug addicts to avoid being stared at by curious, judgemental locals. 

The fact that their little hangout was so secluded was what made it strange when two adult men holding hands came walking in their direction on the sidewalk. They hadn’t seemed to notice either teen yet, too consumed with each other, laughing and talking as they came closer. Virgil was becoming more tense with each second, but Remus reassured him that they were fine, nothing was going to happen. 

But something did happen. Something that hadn’t happened in a week and a half.

Someone talked to them.

The shorter of the two men, with wavy hair and round glasses that enlarged his bright blue eyes, was the first to notice Virgil and Remus. His face took on a comically surprised expression and he nudged the other man, causing him to stop talking and follow his gaze. Both teens tensed as two pairs of eyes met theirs. In a blink Remus was on his feet in front of Virgil, fists balled at his sides. The taller man, who seemed Latino and was very well built, shifted a little to stand just in front of the shorter man. 

The shorter man blinks in surprise and puts a hand on his counterpart’s shoulder, saying something to the other that caused him to stand down. He pressed a kiss to his cheek before taking a couple slow, cautious steps towards Virgil and Remus. “Hey there kiddos. My name’s Patton. He’s Roman,” he gestures over his shoulder at the other man. “Did you need help? What are you doing in this part of the park?”

Remus glares at the men. “Well we don’t have needles in our arms so we’re obviously looking for clients. Buzz off.”

Patton takes a slight step back, surprised momentarily by the hostility. He’s quick to recover though and the smile returns. “You know, I don’t believe you. We just want to make sure you’re safe; it looks like your friend might be hurt? Our other boyfriend is a doctor, he can help.”

Remus falters. He knew Virgil needed a doctor… But no, he can’t trust strangers, he needs to talk to Dee. “Pass. Go away.” His stomach growls and his cheeks burn in embarrassment.

Patton notices, softening. “How ‘bout this. You come with us to lunch, then you can come right back here. We won’t follow you, and we won’t bother you again. Please?”

God, lunch sounded so good…. But Dee was supposed to be back soon, he said he’d get food on his way back. Remus shakes his head. 

Patton is about to say something else when he gets interrupted by Dee rushing over, setting a bag on the bench next to Virgil before stepping in front of Remus. “What do you want, we aren’t doing anything wrong! Fuck off!” 

Patton takes a step back, looking at Roman with concern. They seem to have a silent conversation with each other before looking back to the trio. “Do you kiddos have parents? Or grandparents, someone who’s looking after you,” Patton asks softly. 

“Who needs adults, we’re doing just fine on our own.”

The taller man, Roman, sighs as he looks between Remus and Dee. “ _Por favor, ven con nosotros_. Let us feed you and treat your friend, he could get sick, or his injuries could get worse.” 

Dee looks from Remus, who’s glaring at the couple like an angry guard dog, to Virgil, who’s curled up on the bench, wary but already looking through the bag as his hunger wins over his anxiety. He purses his lips, looking back at the adults. “No cops, no hospitals.”

Patton brightens and nods. “Of course! Come on, we aren’t far.”

* * *

After more glares and promises, the two older teens had agreed to let Roman carry Virgil. Remus and Dee followed behind the couple, the bag of cheap food clenched in Dee’s fist. He felt like such a failure; a week and a half and they were still here, nowhere near their goal. He’s pulled from his spiralling thoughts when Roman and Patton slow down, a quaint-looking house coming into view. It has the white picket fence Dee had heard about in books, lined with flowerbeds. The front lawn was neatly trimmed, lusciously green. The house itself was a creamy color with white trim, a bay window facing the street offering a view into the front room. Patton unlocks the door, Roman following with Virgil as Patton calls into the house. Remus is close behind, not wanting to let Virgil out of his sight. Dee hesitantly follows. 

It’s a nice house, if a bit modest. The decorations are more sparse and homey than he’s used to; the only thing worth more than a hundred dollars is the entertainment set-up, which is far less impressive than the one Dee’s father owns. There’s more pictures on the walls too, mostly of Patton, Roman, and some other man, though there are other pictures with what Dee assumes are their friends and family. 

Roman gently sets Virgil down on the couch, sitting in the adjacent armchair. Remus sits close to Virgil, pressed into his side, and Dee sits on his other side. Roman looks up and smiles as Patton exits the kitchen with the man Dee had seen in the pictures; tall, lean and angular, with wire glasses sitting on his nose and combed-back hair. “This is Logan, our doctor boyfriend!”

“Patton, surely you could have given me a better introduction.”

“What do you mean, Lolo? Your name’s Logan, you’re a doctor, and you’re our boyfriend!”

Logan sighs with an amused smile. “I suppose you’re right, love. My apologies. Now,” he turns to the teens. “I heard one of you was injured.” He crouches before Virgil with a gentle smile. “May I?” 

Virgil looks at Dee, biting his lip. Dee gives a small nod and Virgil nods to Logan. Logan moves slowly so he doesn’t spook the teens, raising Virgil’s shirt to inspect his torso. He frowns at the fading bruises, making eye contact with Virgil. “Is it alright if I remove your shirt, Virgil?” Virgil nods, shrugging his hoodie off and removing his shirt. Logan looks at Patton. “Love, please get my bag from the bedroom.”

Patton disappears to go do so and Logan sighs. He didn’t want Patton’s rather expressive nature to alarm these boys. Logan looks between the three teens and smiles softly. “Now, why are the three of you living at the park with no apparent guardian to look after you?”

The three boys share a look, deciding to share their story with the doctor.

**Author's Note:**

> Vete a la verga: Go fuck yourself.
> 
> Lo que sea que eso signifique: Whatever that means.
> 
> No tengo tiempo para esta mierda: I don’t have time for this shit.
> 
> Sin comida, sin suministros, y sin adultos de nuestro lado: Without food, without supplies, and without adults on our side.
> 
> Podría empeorado: It could have worsened.
> 
> Hasta pronto: See you soon.
> 
> Cabrón: Asshole, bastard.
> 
> Podemos colarnos en el autobús de todos modos: We can just sneak onto the bus anyways.
> 
> Por favor, ven con nosotros: Please, come with us.


End file.
